Drawn To Life: The Return
by pencil-lead-guy
Summary: Mari has a chance at returning to Raposa Village and learns the truth about Mike and Heather. In the other half of the story, we learn about the Raposa Village twenty years prior to the first game. In the past Raposa Village, the Mayor and some of the villagers go on a journey, and we find out why the Creator abandoned the Raposa.
1. Chapter 1-1: Mari's Choice

Chapter 1-1: Mari's Choice

My head was pounding like drums. It's been years since the pounding began. It all started when the Creator lit the Eternal Flame, and our world faded. But, I opened my eyes and saw a small crack of light.

"Creator?" I called out to the light. Light was something I have yet to see for years. This must be the Creator's work. I called out once more, "Creator? Is that you?"

I had no response. Maybe this was a dream, and I'll wake up to darkness again. The crack of light grew bigger, as did my curiosity and fear. Slowly, I shuffled my feet towards the light. Suddenly, I no longer felt cold from abandonment. I felt…joy. Joy was something I hadn't felt in a long time. The light made me feel warm and sheltered.

"Mari," a voice called out to me. The voice was almost silent, the tone filled with cracks of pain. This couldn't be the Creator. He's a perfect being, and he would never talk like that. "Walk toward the light, Mari. There's something I would like to show you," it said.

The light was only a few steps away from me. As I looked into it, I saw pictures take shape inside of the light. It looked like…a family. Yes, that's it! A family in a car, but in the next picture, only two of the four family members were there. The mother and father had died in a car crash…the children were orphaned! I had no idea who these people were, or who the voice belonged to, but I said, "Creator, who are these people?"

The picture changed into a bed in a light-mint colored room. The boy had a bandage on his nose, and the girl had bandages around the left side of her face. Suddenly, the boy moved. The girl, with tears in her eyes, noticed her brother moving. She got up out of her wooden chair and hugged her brother. This scene really moved me. The girl was very lucky to have someone she loves dearly come back. Someone I loved dearly, I know will never come back. I piped up, "Creator?"

"You know these children. They have been through a lot, with losing their parents and being tortured by Wilfre's wrath." I know these people? I don't know anyone with strange ears like that!

Or do I…this boy must be Mike! But who was the girl? All I know about her is that something bad happened to her face. Maybe…it's-

"Mari, have you figured out who these are?"

Looking into the light, I saw that it grew bigger. It consumed me, but it no longer felt warm and sheltered. The light gradually became a blood-red. I screamed in fear. What was happening to the light that made me feel safe? What happened to the Creator?

"Yes, Creator, I have figured out who these people are! It's Mike and Heather! Where are they?" I called out. It's amazing how a situation can change from mystic to frightening in seconds.

The Creator seemed to pause. I began to see a silhouette in the red light form. He held his hands beside him, as if he was lifting something heavy up. "That is correct, Mari. But I'm afraid there is no way you can see them again."

Tears formed in my eyes. Nothing I could do? But…are they dead? "I can hear your thoughts, Mari," the Creator spoke. "I can feel your sadness. I cannot let you see them, but I can let them see you." I froze. "Wait, what did you say?"

"There is only one condition, Mari." Out of thin air, two platforms appeared. They had a Greek feeling to them, like columns or architecture. Two items slowly floated from the sky onto the platforms. The first one was a curved blade. The second one was a flower. What did they mean? "Choose wisely, Mari. This decision can affect everyone's lives in the Raposa Village," the Creator said with despair in his voice.

Th-they were still alive? "What do they mean, Creator?" I asked. He quickly responded, "The flower represents peace, and the blade represents selfishness." Obviously I had to choose the flower. The Creator stopped me. "Please wait, Mari. If you choose the blade, Mike and Heather will die and return to Raposa Village for eternity. But if you choose the flower, they will return to Raposa Village when they die, but they will not remember you. There is a chance that they will become evil."

I wasn't sure what to do. I tried to do the mayoral thing, and say, "Can you help me with this decision, Creator? Which one would be best?"

The Creator's silhouette faded away. He said, "The choice is yours, Mari. But let me tell you this: no matter what you choose, Wilfre will be defeated."

The right thing to do was pick the flower, so Mari wouldn't have to kill anybody. The Creator nodded slowly and replied, "I will bring Mike and Heather back to Raposa Village when they die. They will not remember you, remember that." His final words were, "I am under a spell, Mari. A spell created by Wilfre that harms me more every day. He will be stopped, but I may also be stopped as well."

And I was left alone for a few more minutes. After that, the light turned green, and tan, and blue…and before I knew it, I was in Raposa Village.

The colors were more vivid than ever. I was in front of the wishing well, which looked more aged than she remembered it. As I looked around, I saw bushy trees, beautiful houses and buildings, and the hill near the Snow Gate that I used to jump off of when I was a little Rapo.

Everything was so dazzling in the Raposa Village. But there was something missing: the other villagers. With a confused look, I searched all around me, but there was nothing moving except the elegant waving of the leaves.

"Where is everyone, Creator?" I asked. I had no response. I felt very lonely, especially without the help of the Creator. I saw a small tree stump and sat on it. It was surprisingly comfortable, considering how rough wood and tree bark are. I thought about Jowee. Where was he? He can't be dead, because if he was, I would be dead, too!

And then I thought about Mike and Heather. It would be decades until they reappeared at Raposa Village. Maybe…when they come, the other villagers would come, too. That's it! I think the Creator wants me to set up the village before the others come.

I had some work to do. After a forming a puddle of tears on the ground, I got up and rubbed my hands together. The Raposa Village are going to have some company soon.


	2. Chapter 1-2: Genesis

Chapter 1-2: Genesis

I almost felt bad for walking down the new red velvet stairs in the lighthouse. I even forgot to wipe my shoes on the ground before entering, which made me feel worse.

The lighthouse has been here for about a couple years. Hoping to attract other voyagers, we Raposa used glass and crystals to make the light more shiny and attractive. In return, all we got were the never-ending sound of waves and the carefree chant of the seagulls. We've never seen anyone other than our Villagers, which made us very lonely.

After walking out of the lighthouse, I felt sad. I've never seen a more beautiful view than looking out on the ocean's horizon; especially when the sun's setting.

"How was the view, Morgan?" Pirate Beard called out to me. His ship was sitting pretty at the docks, rocking back and forth like a chair.

He was only three years older than me, and I still felt sheepish around him. "It was splendid, Pirate Beard. Thanks so much for taking me here."

"You know you don't need to call me Pirate Beard, matey. Just call me Calico," he said a bit nicer. It's a little bit funny trying to watch Calico talk in his pirate accent, but fails at it completely. Nevertheless, you can tell that he means business.

I took Calico's hand as he helped me up on his ship. "Whaddya think of me new ship, Morgan? She be the Golden Baki." I took a look at the ship, not realizing that it was a different one than the last time I went to the lighthouse. That was…was it the Ancient Rapo? No, it was the…Curse of Rapo…it was the Rapo's Curse!

I looked back at Calico, whose head was tilted up to make him look more fierce and ruling. "The Golden Baki ain't that much different from the other one."

"Aye, you mean the Rapo's Curse. She broke down a few days ago, so I had my crew and I make this beauty. I wanted them to make her as similar as possible to me old ship. For nostalgia's sake, I mean," Calico looked up at the sky, blocking the sun with his hand. "I mean, ever since me pops died, the Curse's been mine."

With that, Calico took his pirate hat off and held it to his heart. His father was a good friend of my father. Davy Beard and Mitchell Brewer…their friendship was something beyond what I'd ever experience. Maybe except if I had a child one day. I really want a daughter. Since my family's first names begin with M, maybe I'd name her Maggie. I also like Mari. Melody sounds nice also.

Calico put his hat back on and called out to the rest of his crew on board the Golden Baki. "Yo-! Ho!" The other couple Rapos called back, "Yo Ho!"

As the black sail dropped, Calico slowly spun the wheel. It took about a couple minutes to get back to the Raposa Village, so I liked having the breeze relax my face for just enough time. Too much makes me cold, but a minutes-worth of fresh sea breeze is perfect.

Calico steered the Golden Baki right beside its dock. I stepped off and shook his hand. "Thanks…Cap'n," I said in a stereotypical pirate voice. Calico just grunted and said, "You're welcome." I could see in his face that he wanted to laugh, but he fought back his emotions.

Calico's crew- Sherwood, Yuri, Shipley, Coral, and Payton- stepped off of the boat and made their way back to their home in the village. Calico decided to take me home. I felt so embarrassed: A 12-year old being taken home by a 15-year old.

On the way through the beach, Yuri and Coral were having a hearty conversation about their first ship ride. Sherwood and Payton started whispering to each other, and Shipley just watched. Shipley decided to talk to me to pass the time as we go through the forest.

"Hey, kid, are you really going to be the mayor someday?" he asked me. I wasn't really listening much, so I asked, "I'm sorry?"

"Are you going to be the mayor or what?"

I was frightened by that statement. The Brewer genealogy was full of Raposa Village mayors. I was twelve, and when my father dies, I become the new mayor. I'm not ready for that! I barely know how to brush my fur the right way!

"Hey, Morgan?" Shipley asked once more. Once glance at him, and I knew he actually cared. His eyes were full of sorrow, as if he could read my thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm going to be the mayor someday. I'm sure as heck not ready for it, though." Oh, please don't call me a wimp, please! I'm only a child!

Shipley looked forward and tightened his bandana so that his ears wouldn't flap forward. "I feel you, kid," he replied, and quite unexpectedly while we're at that. "I once got myself lost in the Twilight Forest. But eventually, I rapoed up and found my way out. It was all thanks to the Creator."

This caught my attention. I laughed at Shipley, with doubt hidden in my voice. "The Creator is only a fairy tale."

Everyone stopped and looked at me. Did I say something wrong? Everyone just watched me, like I just killed somebody, or if I just committed a terrible sin.

Calico was the first to break the silence, "Well, if that's what you believe, than I guess we be okay with that. Right, crew?"

Coral, with a slight frown on her face, said, "Aye," and left. Eventually, Yuri followed her. And so did Sherwood, and Payton. Shipley nodded at me and followed the others.

With a friendly punch on the arm, Calico told me, "Hey, don't let them get to you. They're just really sensitive about the Creator is all." Calico looked up at the setting sun. "It be getting dark. I'll take you home. Where do you live again, Morgan?"

A quick sigh escaped my mouth. "I live at the tall house in the center of the village. It's near the Eternal Flame."

Calico put his arm around my shoulder and began to make me walk. "Don't worry; I'm going to make sure you get home safely."

"Eat your Banya Pie, Morgan," Mom said. "You know that the Browns would be very upset; they made all this Banya for us." I took my fork and picked at the pie. The crust was the only part I liked, but Dad had to add this creamy chicken stuff inside of it that I don't like.

Seeing the disgusted look on my face, Dad said, "Alright, I'll cut it in half. If you eat all of it, I'll let you stay up another hour."

My ears perked up. "What?"

"Maybe we can go to the hidden beach and pick Kori Fruits. We can make Kori-Tarts."

There was no question about it. I took my knife and wiggled it down the mushy Banya Pie. "Here," I told Dad as I plopped the pie onto his plate. Imagining it as a Kori-Tart, I wolfed down the Banya Pie faster than Jacques Cookie can make one. That's saying something.

Feeling super jumpy, I skipped my way over to the water pipes, where we wash our dishes. I turned the twisty thing that looks like Calico's steering wheel, and the water poured out. I know that I'm 12 years old, but I'm really sheltered, and I don't know a lot of words and what they mean. Maybe those things were called nozzles? Hoses…pipe, twist…handles…yeah, they might have been handles.

Unfortunately for me, I was really tired and went to bed, never getting the extra hour I was promised. It took me about five minutes to get to sleep. But what I dreamt about is the important part.

Darkness. For miles, and miles. And suddenly, a light appeared in front of me. It was the brightest thing I've ever seen, even the sun looked like a mere flame compared to this.

And then, I saw a figure inside of the light. I immediately knew who this was. "Are you the Creator?" I asked.

"You do not believe in me. Why do you think that I am the Creator?"

"B-Because…" I couldn't think of an answer. I can't put into words how obvious that this man was the Creator.

"Because you're huge!" I shouted out at him, regretting that last word. "And you're standing in front of a bright light! Only you could have created that!"

The Creator seemed to think. "Yes," he replied. "I am the Creator. But there is one thing you got wrong: _this is not a dream_."

A whirlwind of thoughts and emotions spun around inside of my head from that sentence. "Of course it's a dream, Creator! I went to bed and never woke up! This has to be a dream, right?"

"This is a dream, Morgan, but what's happening…is not a dream. Now, wake up."

"What?"

"Wake up, Morgan! Something's going on outside!"

This voice was different. It sounded like a mix between the Creator's voice and someone familiar. "But…Creator!"

"Morgan, honey! Get up, we have to go!"

And with that, I felt a small tap on my nose. I shouted and turned my head to see my parents with worried looks on their faces.

Dad grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the house. "Dad, what's going on?"

Without hesitation, he answered, "I bet you had that dream too, right? About the Creator?"

"Yeah."

"Well, take a good look outside."

A small window beside our door was almost invisible. A bright light from outside blinded my vision. Wait…why is it dark? It's midnight in autumn!

Come to think of it…I think the Creator did this.

"It's the Creator, Dad. He's out there!" I opened the door to find our whole village around the Eternal Flame. The Browns, the Cookies, the Thompsons, the Beards, the Cures, the Freemans, everyone!

What was going on? Suddenly, the Eternal Flame…was no longer a flame.


	3. Chapter 2-1: Colorless World

Chapter 2-1: Colorless World

It's been almost a year or two since I started to tidy up the village. It took longer than expected: I had to cut down a few trees, clean all the buildings, farm Banya, and organize every little detail of everyone's house, restaurant, or workplace.

With my grey (which used to be white) rag, I finished polishing the sign of Cookie's restaurant. That was it. I did all of that work for about two years. I bet everyone would be proud of me.

Speaking of which, I heard a voice. I wasn't supposed to hear anything yet; Mike and Heather didn't die! Or…wait! Did they actually…  
I saw Farmer Brown walk in with his wife and son. They were talking about how beautiful the scenery looked from the bridge. They took one look around the Raposa Village in awe, until they saw me. Farmer Brown just stared. I started to walk towards him, with a little confusion on my face.

"Mari," he said at last. "Did you fix all this?" With a sheepish grin, I replied, "I've been working very hard for the Creator, and the good of the village."

Mrs. Brown walked toward her house. With tears in her eyes, she dug out a Banya stalk and bit off the top. "It's been years since I've eaten anything," she told me. The son ran over and shared the rest of the Banya stalk with his mother. "Yummy!" he announced.

I felt so happy for them. Two years ago, it made me very happy to finally have Banya Bread for decades. I can't imagine how happy they must feel to eat Banya together instead of alone.

Suddenly, Chef Cookie and his assistants walked in the village. Once they saw the shiny reflection on their sign, they screamed with delight and rushed over.

After the return of the Cookies, everyone else came. I even got to see Zsasha and Cricket walk beside each other, having a nice conversation. Cricket capturing Zsasha was the last thing on his mind, compared to finally seeing the village for so long; not to mention, anything besides darkness.

I only saw a couple people not care about seeing the village or the other villagers: Samuel, Galileo, and Unagi all nodded at me when they saw me, and returned to work from their over-extended break.

With that, everybody surrounded around me and my house. I couldn't seem to find three people: Mike, Heather, and…Jowee.

I searched around the flurry of Raposa, but nowhere could I find his signature blue goggles he wears.

Trying not to keep the crowd waiting, I started speaking to them. "Um…" I started, not sure what to say. "Well, I'm glad you're all back. I'm not really sure what happened in all that time we were gone…but, uh…"

"Mari, you shouldn't concern yourself with this," a voice called out. I looked behind the villagers. "Who was that?" Dr. Cure asked. "It came from the bridge!" cried Isaac.

With a beam of orange light behind the figure, they stepped forward slowly toward the entrance gate. We were so quiet, that we could hear the bridge creaking with every footstep. Suddenly, the figure took shape.

It was a male Raposa, but that was all I could figure out. Until he took off his goggles and placed them on his head. _No. Way._ I thought.

"J-Jowee?!" I screamed. The figure nodded his head. It was definitely Jowee. He stepped through the crowd and stood beside me. "Villagers, we need to revolutionize Raposa Village."

Pirate Beard looked strangely at him. "Are you…Jowee?"

"I am," Jowee replied, casually. Did no one else notice how epic his entry was? The orange aura, the silence of the Raposa…it was a moment to remember…but I was the only one who actually did remember.

By the way, what was that orange light? It's not there anymore…but everything that the Creator gave us with the Book of Life is gone. Wait, where is the Book of Life?

"Jowee," I told him. "I need you to talk to the villagers. I need to look for something important."

Jowee smiled at me. "I'll talk to them. What are you-" I ran off, not hearing the rest of his sentence.

I flung my hands on my drawers, scrambling through all of my clothes to find the Book of Life. I can't believe that after all this time I've been here, I've never had a single thought about it. After finding nothing but clothes in my drawers, I checked under my bed, behind my dresser, but still I found nothing.

I breathed heavily, panicking more than I ever have before. If I didn't have the Book of Life, than the Creator wouldn't be able to help us survive! What if…Wilfre is back? That's it, Mari! Wilfre is still alive, and he stole the Book of Life! Oh, if Dad were here, he'd be really mad.

After that one thought, I had a small shred of hope. Wilfre is dead, right? And if he's alive, than Dad might still be alive!

"Yeeeeeeeah!" the villagers shouted. I guess Jowee gave them an inspiring speech. Giving up, I stepped out of my house and saw the villagers with their hands in the air, cheering as Jowee stepped back into the crowd.

I guess I have to speak. "Jowee, what was that you were saying?"

Jowee cleared his throat. "I was saying that we need to improve our lifestyle. We need to add technology to our lives."

"Like what?" Bubba asked with doubt in his voice.

Jowee "tsk"ed at him. "If any of you remember Galactic Jungle, they're way ahead of us over there. We need to start small. We need to create new ways of transportation; new ways of communication. I'm also thinking about ways to keep our village clean and healthy."

My interest was piqued. We don't have to rely on the Creator to keep our village clean. He may be telling us to do things on our own.

Jowee stepped back in front of the crowd. "I need your help to create a two-circle spin machine."

"How about we call it the…bicycle?" Galileo croaked. "The root for two is bi, and the root for spin is cycle." The village nodded at this. Bicycle it was. "What else do you have planned?" he asked.

"I have the speaking-from-a-distance device," Jowee answered, with uncertainty about the name Galileo would come up with.

Galileo thought hard about this one. He began, "The root for distance is…tele. And phone is the root for sound. How about we call it the phone-tele?"

Crazy Barks yelled, "Crazybarksdoesnotlikephone-tele! Crazybarkswantstelephone!"

Cindi spoke up, her voice more timid than ever. It must have been not speaking for so long. "I think Mistuh Cwazy Bawks said tewefone." A chorus of "aww"s came from the crowd.

This was great! I should make Jowee my secretary or something. Maybe we can create more transportation and communication. We could even make alliances with other villages overseas! The possibilities were endless.

The future was a really bright place. Or so I thought.

Just as Jowee opened his mouth to speak, the clouds turned grey. They spiraled into a giant blanket of stratus clouds. What was going on? Was Wilfre back?

Lightning began striking down. The first bolt hit a few yards away from my house. The villagers screamed in fear and ran off to hide.

Jowee and I froze. The next bolt hit closer. The third hit closer. The fourth was about an inch away from my house. "No!" I cried out. "Jowee, my house…"

Jowee placed his hand on my chest and walked backward. I guess I should step back too. Finally, the light struck. I screamed.

Wait. My house is still here. No flames or anything. It was just normal light. But then I saw a figure float down from the sky. It was a woman in a cloak. I couldn't tell what the color was…it looked like a mixture of black and green, maybe tan…I really couldn't tell what color it was!

The woman placed her feet on my roof. She lifted her hood to reveal a Raposa with glowing white eyes, a smile so grim that it could turn Medusa to stone, and bright red hair that waved in every direction.

Our voice betrayed us. Jowee and I grabbed arms while the woman cackled with laughter, followed by lightning bolts striking several trees.

The woman spoke, her voice deep and mysterious, the world so silent you could hear her echo. "Fools who stand in front of me…I am the Shadowess, a being of…complete destruction."

Jowee's grasp on me tightened. The Shadowess looked more frightening than Wilfre ever did.

The Shadowess continued. "I have been summoned…to destroy all worlds and create a perfect one…starting with your village."

I called out to her, "What are you going to do to us? To our village?"

The Shadowess wiggled her left-hand fingers about, as a purple and red flame appeared above it. She wailed as she raised her hand up, and threw the flame like a ball toward a nearby bush.

The bush shook, and became distorted. Suddenly, the lush green leaves started to turn black. After the whole bush was covered in shadow, something happened. It looked like the bush was disappearing, but it was still there.

It looked like the bush was completely cut out of the world, and in its place, a color that nobody has ever seen before. It hurt my eyes just looking at it. It was both bright and dark, weak and strong, and in a way, a combination of every other color.

I shrieked and stumbled backward, and Jowee did the same. "Surprised?" the Shadowess asked with a small giggle. "I'd expect nothing else. This you see here…isn't a color at all."

"Huh?" I asked. "Not a color? Is that even possible?"

The Shadowess made the burgundy flame again. She looked so evil and mystic, Wilfre doesn't even compare to her. I shivered in horror thinking about what Wilfre and the Shadowess would do if they had an alliance. She sighed and began, "Mari…"

"How did you know my name? I never said-"

"I am a being who creates destruction, a being of destruction, and a being that is the definition of destruction. Wilfre's pathetic attempts to destroy the worlds were nothing compared to what I will do."

I could hear the pitter-patter of a Raposa coming towards us. It was…it was…?

The Shadowess leaned her head towards us. "He tried to cover your lands in shadow. He tried to drain the color as well. I, will destroy it completely."

Jowee shuddered as he held his finger up at the former bush. "S-so, that was...it's g-gone?"

I dared myself to look at where the bush was. It hurt my eyes so much to look at; wouldn't you be surprised if whoever you worship lays out a brand new color in front of you? Or, if they lay out something colorless?

The sound of feet shuffling grew a tad louder. I turned around to find…

Jowee turned around as well. His eyes started to tear up as he saw the figure behind him. He struggled to get the word out of him. "M-M…M…"

I couldn't believe it. "Mike!" I cried out. I rushed over to him, and hugged him around the waist. I got down on my knees, with tears streaming down my cheeks. Sobs interrupted me saying, "Mike! You're…you're here!"

Mike didn't react. "Mike?" I asked. Still nothing. What was wrong with him? I looked at his face. He had a giant cut from the left side of his forehead to the right side of his chin. Dried blood stained his expressionless face.

Mike walked toward the Shadowess, ignoring me entirely. When he stood in front of the Shadowess, he did something I would have never guessed he would have done in a million years.

He turned around.

The Shadowess cackled with delight. "Mari, Mike is now under my control. You chose the flower, and he chose evil."

Those words hit me in the heart. My eyes have never been shut so tight before, trying to hold back tears. The Shadowess pulled Mike by invisible force, as Mike shrunk into her hands. A purple and red vortex appeared behind her, and she disappeared in a flash.

Suddenly, the top of my house started shaking. The rest of the villagers ran up to get behind Jowee and I. The top of my house started to distort. That meant…that my house would be destroyed!

"Everyone!" I shouted. "Get to the docks! We need to get out of here!"

Isaac shifted his glasses. "What about supplies? We need supplies!"

I thought about this. "Get supplies from the farthest houses from my house. They'll be the last houses to get affected!"

Every Raposa ran off in every direction to get food, water, and other supplies like weapons and maps.

Heather started to walk through the gates. This didn't surprise me at all, compared to what just happened. Praying to the Creator that she wasn't evil, I hugged Heather. I looked at Heather's face, and the shadow was gone completely. In its place, a cut identical to Mike's. She looked relieved to see me. I guess she wasn't evil.

"Heather," Jowee said with heavy breaths. "You're back."

"I am," replied Heather. She walked over to hug Jowee. Today has been the most emotional day of my life.

After a few minutes, every villager was on the docks. We couldn't turn around without the colorless world hurting our eyes. Even if they were closed, it wouldn't help.

Turtle Rock was right in front of us. Every villager stepped on. We weren't sure where to go…

…but somewhere.


	4. Chapter 2-2: Departure

Chapter 2-2: Departure

You all know the story of how the Creator abandoned us. Wilfre questioned our abilities to create, and threatened our way of life. He tore the Book of Life page by page, and they were lost until the Hero was created. The Creator didn't want us to create accidental shadow, so he sealed Creation Hall.

But that is not the whole story. What happened tonight, the night that I had the dream about the Creator, was the beginning. This is the true story of why Wilfre and the Creator abandoned us.

~xxx~

The Eternal Flame flickered. It was too bright to look at. A combination of white and gold, shimmering before my eyes.

That golden flame started to take shape. All I could make out of it was a body. It wasn't a Raposa body. It looked taller, skinnier, and the ears were shorter and on the side of its head.

When we saw this figure, the only thing we could do was get on our knees. I didn't know what was happening. I didn't even believe in the Creator. So why am I on my knees?

I don't know how long I have been on my knees. If someone who doesn't believe in the Creator can bow this long, imagine what a believer would do! Suddenly, the figure, who I strongly assumed was the Creator, sank back into the Eternal Flame. He left behind a paragraph of words.

The words were written as if they were written by the first generation, in the fanciest cursive, so that the letters looked like loops. The words were white, and waving in the air. Only one of us dared to read it; my father, Mitchell Brewer.

His voice trembled as he spoke. "Your world is in great danger. Please stay unalarmed, for it is not soon. Preparedness is necessary, though. I ask that you find the four Creator's Treasures: the Legendary Paintbrush, the Fabled Pencil, the Mystic Pen, and the Easel of Time. I will provide a hero to help you in the near future. I wish you the best of luck. ~The Creator."

Silence clouded the village like a disease. Everyone's eyes were on another Raposa, and two seconds later, another. Mine, were just on my parents.

"Mommy," I said. "What's gonna happen to our village? What was all that stuff…that those words said?"

Mom looked shocked. I haven't called her "mommy" since I was maybe 8 or 9 years old. She held the sides of my head and softly spoke, "I don't know," She couldn't be more honest than that.

Dad held his hands up and called out to the village. He stepped at the front of our house and began speaking. "If we can trust the message, a great danger approaches. I say that some of us must go and find those items and the rest stay here with the children." He looked at the male Rapos. "I need the strongest and wisest men we have."

Galileo raised his hand. "I believe that with my logic and knowledge," he spoke. "I would be beneficial to the traveling group." The villagers silently agreed. The next to speak was Craig Bark, an introverted man who almost never leaves his house. "I haven't gotten to prove myself worthy of being a man, but now, if you let me, I wish to join the traveling party."

Dad looked like he was thinking. I would have second thoughts about this guy too, but c'mon, he needs a chance. Doesn't everybody? With a sigh, Dad spoke up, "You can go. Speaking of which, I think I should too."

Those words hit me in the heart like a blade. "No, Dad!" I cried. "What about me and Mom? Who's gonna lead the village?"

"I will," said a small voice. I recognized it, too. It was one of Calico's crew members: Shipley! He was the only one who came to talk to me other than Calico, so he's the most important crew member to me (again, besides Calico). "The mayor needs to go with them."

"I agree," said Unagi. "I will go on the quest if it means protecting the mayor. You-know-who can stay back and solve mysteries with his _lie-detector_." A snarl could be heard from Cricket in the back of the crowd.

"Okay, so we have Mr. Galileo, Mr. Bark, Mr. Emaibi, and me. Any other volunteers?"

Calico stepped up with his entire crew, minus Shipley. "I invite myself and me crew members to come with ye on your journey. Ye may need us." The other members drew their swords and held them up in the air.

Dad nodded his head. "I see, so you present me your bravery. Bravery is a must-have. We will definitely need you."

Samuel dragged his feet up to the mayor. "Allow a mere Rapo to join…I have no place in this village, but I shall have a place in this quest. Also, I would like to invite Mr. Journey to come along, but I am not sure where he is at the moment."

Journey was leaning on a tree, flipping a copper Rapo Coin, using sleight of hand to put it in his satchel. "Hmph… You needn't ask. Of course I would come. How stupid are you Rapos…?"

With an ignorant nod, Dad asked, "I think we have enough, but will anyone else speak up?"

"Me," a low-pitched voice said. Everyone looked and turned at him as he walked up. Most of the villagers gasped. The man didn't turn to look at his fellow villagers, just forward at Dad. He stopped right in front of him, as stiff as a statue, maybe even more. "Mayor Brewer," he began. "I would like to come along. Much like Mr. Samuel, what good am I here?"

Dad stared at the man. "I appreciate the gesture, and you may as well come along, as per all the good deeds you've done for this village."

"Thank you, very much. May the Creator be with you."

"And also with you…"

"…Wilfre."

~xxx~

The next morning was very dismal. The clouds moved faster than the Rapos. It was like our legs had chains wrapped around them with an iron ball dragging us down. Our village was being split in two, and the worst part was, nobody knew for how long. I was to stay with Mom until the other group returns with those four items.

Dad…left Shipley in charge of the village. Shipley seems like a good villager, but I really don't know. Dad has been mayor for about a decade now, because my grandfather, Milo Brewer, the fourth mayor of our village, died when I was 4 years old, and the title of "mayor" was passed down to my father, Mitchell Brewer. And because of this stupid quest…Shipley can take the title of mayor because…because my father might die.

That's it. I can't let Dad die. That's why…

I need to stowaway in somebody's bag. I'm going to have to trick Mom into thinking that I'm outside playing somewhere, when I'm really hiding in Dad's supplies bag. I had to have a way to breathe, though. I looked at the supplies around the house.

That's when I spotted Dad's rifle. I picked it up, aimed it at the bag, and… _BANG!_ My plan had just begun. I left the rifle right where it was, hid in the bag, and waited for Dad to come get the rifle to go find the "shooter." I could hear the footsteps of Dad as he hurriedly grabbed the rifle and ran off. I snickered behind my hand, until I heard Dad call out…

"Morgan! Morgan! Where are you?" I didn't realize that Dad would be worried about me at that moment. I guess there's only thing left to do. So that I don't move around too much, I just go to sleep.

Do you know how when you hear things near you while you're asleep, you hear them a hundred times in your dreams? I heard what people said around me by doing just that. If I can remember correctly, I heard Mom sobbing, and the _ftt ftt_ sounds of the Rapos headed to find the four items. I'm going to get in so much trouble when Dad finds out, but what can he do? I'm here to protect him.

I'm here to protect Dad. And Mr. Barks, Mr. Galileo, Mr. Journey, Calico, Sherwood, Yuri, Coral, Payton, Mr. Samuel, and Mr. Emaibi. And Mr. Wilfre Freeman.


End file.
